Leviticus are a Swedish heavy metal band lead by guitarist Bjorn Stigsson. They are generally heralded as pioneers in Christian heavy metal.
They released their first EP
in 1982, and the first full length album the year after. These first 2 releases were in Swedish language, but
soon they recorded the debut 'Jag Skall Segra' in English,
titling it 'I Shall Conquer'.

When I first got into Christian heavy metal back in the mid-1980's, this was one of the first albums I picked up. I still have that original vinyl. I must admit that when I first purchased it, I listened to "I Shall Conquer" over and over again and many of these songs are ingrained into my memory, especially the title track. The album features a smoking guitarist in Bjorn Stiggson. Listen to his soaring guitar work in "Let Me Fight" or the moody "Psalm 23". However, I also admit that this is one of the cheesiest metal albums ever recorded. The music sounds incredible dated and hasn't withstood the test of time well. While the songs themselves aren't bad, the mid-range, chock full of reverb vocals, along with the keyboard drenched production hold this one back from being all that it could have been. Still, "I Shall Conquer" is one of the earliest Christian metal albums to be released, and is therefore an important part of Chrisitian metal history and holds a lot of nostalgic value for me. I still pull it out every once in a while and give it a spin. Sure, it's cheesy, but who doesn't like a big 'ol hunk of cheddar every know and then?

"I Shall Conquer" was not released on CD until 2000 on Magdalen Records/M8. The CD reissue included three songs from the band's first EP. The reissue was limited to 2500 copies which have since sold out making it a collector's item that sells for a hefty sum on Ebay. The insert features both versions of the cover art so that either can be displayed in the jewel case.

"The Strongest Power" is
basically "I Shall Conquer" Part 2. The first two Leviticus albums are very
similar in style. Both are traditional heavy metal with a sound similar to some
of the NWOBHM bands. However, I think that "Strongest Power" is actually slightly
better than "I Shall Conquer". The overall sound is more melodic and the songs
are more memorable. Songs like "The Winner", "King of Kings" and "On the Rock"
all have memorable hooks. The overall sound is raw and fairly heavy for the
mid 1980's. The low budget recording actually works for this album. It should
also be noted that Bjorn Stigsson is a very good guitarist. He lays down some
choice leads throughout this album.

There are two different
covers available for this album. Both are featured in the M8 reissue. This reissue
also includes the bands "Stå Och Titta På" debut EP as bonus tracks. These songs
are slightly more cheesy than the "Strongest Power" tracks, but to be quite
frank, the whole thing is a bit cheesy. Still, nothing wrong with a big old
hunk of cheddar every now and then.

"Setting Fire to the Earth" is the third full-length album from Swedish heavy metal band Leviticus. The album featured a new line-up, including Ez Gomér was brought in to replace Håkan Andersson on bass, and vocalist Terry Haw (aka Terry H). "Setting Fire" is an immediately likeable album with tons of hooks and some fantastic guitar work. As well,
Terry's vocals take this band to a whole new level. His clean, smooth voice perfectly fits the band's melodic heavy metal sound. "Setting Fire to the Earth" is easily my favorite Leviticus CD.

"Knights of Heaven" saw
Leviticus move even further into the melodic, commercial style of metal that
was hinted at on "Setting Fire to the Earth". Frankly, for them, it was good
move. This is without a doubt their most solid album. Everything was improved
about the band, from the production, to the vocals, to the songwriting. Much
of this is compliments of the Elefante brothers (Guardian, X-Sinner, Petra),
who have a knack for writing and producing solid, radio-ready rock. I suppose
for those who prefered the band's earlier attempts at straight forward heavy
metal, this album is a bit of a let down. To be quit frank, however, I found
early albums like "I Shall Conquer" to be ultra-cheesy and just downright bad.
That is not to say that this CD doesn't contain some elements of cheese. After
all, it was the 80's! Check out the song "Feel So Good" and it's "OOOEE,
OOEEE" chorus. However, cheese in small doses is actually enjoyable as it
is here. Bjorn Stigsson is forever the most underrated guitarist ever, as is
proven here by some of his outstanding leads. Most of the lead work here isn't
overly flashy, but the man knows how to write a lead that really compliments
the songs. Songs like "Messiah" are complimented nicely by the melodic lead
work. Standout cuts are "Born Again", "Strong Love", "Over The Hills", "Messiah"
and "Isn't It Love."